Garment steaming and drying device



Jan. 11, Y1944.

GARMENT STEAMING AND DRYING DEVICE Filed June l2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A ORNEY.

E. A. MILLER 25538353 Patented 11,1944 f.

l 2,338,776 GAnMEN'rs'rEAMING AND Immo DEVICE Edward A." Miller, Milwaukee, Wis., assigner to United States Hallman Machin New York, N. Y., a corporation ery Corporation, of Delaware Application June 12, 1940, Serial No. 340,217

10 Claims.

My inventionrelates togarment steaming and drying devices, and more particularly to a type of device that will give the proper shape to the garment during and after the process. v

The object of my invention is to provide .a

v means of'permitting dry steam to pass through* every portion of the fabric of the garment thereby renovating the nap of the fabric.'

Another object of my invention is toprovide a i means of Ypreventing condensation from passing through the garment by causing superhe'ated dry steam only to impregnate the fabric,

Still another object of my invention is to cause pre-heated air to dry the 'garment in substantially its original shape to flt the form of the Wearerg'in a manner tor` eliminate all wrinkles, by

i means of an inflated envelope or covering over the garment form. thereby permitting adjustment of the'arment to various sizes over the same .form. l y

A still further object of my invention is to provide such a devicethat can be satisfactorily adjusted and manipulated by a single operator, permitting the entire operation to be performed in a minimum length of time.

other and further objects of my invention wm become more apparent as the description proceeds, when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which y Figure l is a fragmentary cross-sectional view vof the entire device illustrating' the combinar.

tion of features comprising the device, p

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device having a garment placed inposition ready for processing, y y

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the steam chamber or separator and distributing 'unit, and Figure 4 is a plan view of the air blast damper arrangement.

Similar characters yof reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and referring now to the same, the character I illustrates a hollow perforated metal body form representing the torso and bust of a person, this body form i0 is rotatably mounted on` a cylindrical portion Il forming a part of a warm air chamber i2, by means of outwardly projecting :izembers I3 attached to an annular support rim 'Ihe entire body form I0 is enveloped by an inflation bag Il made of a closely woven pliable material such as taffeta silk. The bag II i's provided with auxiliary bag like members i8 open at their point of contact with the inilation bag I3 and closed atl their ends i1 as shown.

The lower -end of the bag. i5 is clamped between an annular fiangeis andange It'which together are rotatably mounted on the conical top oi the chamber i2.

Centrally disposed within the body form Il is a steam chamber il equipped with a steam inlet tube 2l at its lower end and an outlet tube 2| at its upper end. At the extreme bottom of thel steam chamber i9 is a drain 22. Above the steam inlet tube 20, at a point near the center of the steam chamber I8 is a perforated baule 23 which .of the steam chamber il.

acts as a separator for the condensation from the steam,'permitting only dry lsteam to kpass through the outlet tube 2| and causing the condensation to drain through ,theV outlet 22 at the bottom of the chamber i3.

The pre-heated steam enters through the tube 24 and the condensed steam returns to the source of supply through theA tube 25. y The outlet tube 2l on the upper end of the steam chamber I9 is provided with a spring ac-y .tuated valve shown at 26 and the steam is led from this valve 26 through a plurality of downwardly disposed tubes 21 closed at their lower ends 23, and provided with a plurality of apertures 29 facing inwardly toward the outer wall The valve 23 is also provided with a series oi link` rods 30, 30', .30" supported at 3| and 32 on the wall of the warm 'air chamber i2 and terminating inte e feet pedal 33 to be employed when the valve 26 is to be opened thereby permitting the steam to be forced outward through the apertures 29 in the tubes 21.

There is a blower unit 34 actuated by a motor 35 shown encased within the warm air chamber i2. The air inlet to the blower 34 is connected to a radiator unit 3B inthe outer wallof theVA warmvair chamber i2 the air being drawn in from the outside through the radiator 33 and forced through the outlet 31 of the blower 34'.

Immediately above the blower 34 within the i' chamber i2 is a partition 334 equipped with a plurality of apertures 39. This partition 38 is also provided with a revolving perforated damper plate 40 pivotably attached to the'partition 3l at 4I. A lever 42 attached to the outer edge of the damper plate 40 extends outward through the wall of the chamber i2 and permits the operator to revolve the damper plate thereby causing the apertures 39 in the partition to register i with the apertures Il in the damper plate. This arrangement is shown in the plan view shown in Figure 4.

In Figure 2 is shown a perspective view of the device showing a garment M in position over the inflated bag i! supported by the body form i0, and illustrating the manner in whichI the bag like members i8 engage the sleeves of the garment. There is also shown a bracket 45 mounted on the outer wall of the chamber I2 at 4l. This bracket plug 'I0 to lead the current from the source of i y supply to the motor u within the enclosure i2. Y

Il hingedly supports a retaining clamp I1 at 4l which clamp is employed to retain the garment M in a closed and proper position. Figure 2 also shows-the cord 49 equipped with an attaching In operation the device functions as follows. A garment 44 is placed over the inflation bag i5 supported bythe body form It. The clamp 41, assists in keeping the garment in position. The. operator opens a valve in the steam supply line which permits live steam to enter the steam chamber l at 20. In entering the steam corr-k tacts the baille plate 23 and the condensation"isfl permitted to drain out of the chamber I9 `through LA the tube 22. When the operator presses onthe. foot pedal 33, the valve 2B on the upper end of) the chamber Is is actuated by means of the linl:` arrangement 20, 3D. and Il" therebyfpermitting the steam to be forced out of the apertures 29 in the' downwardly disposed tubes 21. This process fills the entire inflation bag il with dry steam which, due to the pressure exerted. passes through the bag i and impregnates the fabric of the garment It causing the nap to loosen out- Having thus described my invention. what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is:

1. A device of the character described comprising in combination a body form. said form constructed of a perforated material, a` warm air chamber. said body form mounted above said chamber, an innation bag enveloping said body form, auxiliary inflation bags attached to said main bag, a steam chamber positioned within .y said body form, said steam chamber provided with an inlet at its lower end, an outlet at its upper end and a drain at its extreme bottom, a perforated baiiie plate `positioned within said steam chamber above said inlet, said steam chamber connected with a source of steam sup ply, av valve arrangement incorporated within the tube leading from the outlet4 of said chamber, a plurality of perforated downwardly disposed tubes leading from said valve. means for manually operating said outlet valve. a blower. a motor, current supply leading to said motor for actuating said blower. both the blower and motor positioned within said warm air chamber, a radiator unit forming an inlet for said blower, said radiator unit heated by means ,of the steam supply, the outlet of said blower exhausting the warm air into the said chamber, a partition withsaid warm air chamber, said partition provided-with -a damper, means for operating the d damper thereby permitting the warm air to leave said chamber and enter said inflation bag when the blower is being operated.

2. A device of the character described com prising in combination a foraminous body form, a warm air chamber, said form rotatably mounted to said warm ai-r chamber, an inflation bag l constructed of fabric attached to said warm air ward. Obviously, the auxiliary bag members IB having been inserted into the. sleeves of the garment also permit the steam to engage the fabric of the sleeves. The entire body form Ill supporting the garment 44 may be revolved to permit access to any part of the garment by the operator. After suilicient steam has been forced through the fabric to thoroughly eliminate all foreign matter, the operator closes the steam supply and places the motor 2S in operation by chamber and enveloping said body form, a pair of auxiliary inflation bags closed on their depending ends and open at their point of attachment to said inflation bags, a steam chamber centrally disposed within said body form, said steam chamber provided with a source of steam means of a switch not shown. This. will cause Y the blower 34 to draw in air through the steam heated radiator unit 3ly forcing the warmed air into the chamber I2. Upon rotating the damper plate le by means of the lever I2, the warm air will be forced from the chamber i2 through the apertures 29 and I2 into the inflation bag Il and auxiliary bags Il thereby causing the bag to expand to the full size of the garment I4, and permitting dry warm air to pass through the fabric of the garment. The operator manually adjusts the garment eliminating any possible wrinkle or the'like that might be present. 'I'he warm air will have a tendency to thoroughly dry the fabric in its natural position leaving the nap extended and fluffy.

In the chosen embodiments of my invention there are features not heretofore disclosed in the prior patent art. I do' not wish to be limited however to the exact features portrayed in the drawings or description, for many changes can be made in the construction of the device without departing from the spirit of the invention as outlined by the appended claims.

supply. an outlet at its upper end and a drain at its lower end, a perforated baille arranged within the steam chamber at a point above the steam supply. a valve arranged onto the outletv tube of said steam chamber, a plurality of downwardly disposed tubes leading from said valve, saidtubes provided with perforations for the escape of said steam when said valve is open, means for manually operating said steam outlet valve, a blower -having an inlet and outlet port, a motor forac- 3. A- device as described iny claim Number 2 provided with a clamp arrangement to support a garment in position when applied over the body form, to permit proper adjustment when the warm air is blown from the warm air chamber to the inflation bag.

4. A device of the character described comprising a body form, a warm air chamber, means for rotatably mounting said body form to said warm air chamber, an inflation bag attached to said warm air chamber and entirely enveloping said body form, both body form and inilation bag constructed of a porous material thereby permitting said bag to expand when inflated within the limits provided by a garment placed over said body form, two auxiliary inflation bags constructed of similar material disposed for engagement with the insides of the sleeves of said garment, said auxiliary bags having their depending ends closed and the point of attachment open to said ination bag, a steam chamber provided with a supply and exhaust, said steam chamber positioned within said body form, a perforated baille plate arranged within said steam chamber above the inlet port, a drain for said steam chamber at its extreme bottom to lead lof! the condensation, a valve in the upper exhaust tube of said steam chamber, a plurality of tubes downwardly disposed and arranged parallel to the outer sides of said steam chamber, leading from said valve said tubes provided with apertures and closed at their lower end, a radiator unit, said radiator unit heated by means of said steam supply, a blower having an inlet and outlet port, the inlet port connected to said radiator unit, the outlet port connected to said warm air chamber. a motor for actuating said blower, the operation of said blower drawing in warm air through the radiator unit and exhausting it through its outiet to the warm air chamber, a damper arrangement between the said warm air chamber and said inflation bag and means for controlling the supply oi' steam within said steam chamber, means for operating said exhaust valve on said steam chamber and means for permitting the air from the Warm air chamber to enterI said in'- ilation bag to dry the garment after said garment has been impregnated with said dry steam.

5. A device as described in claim 4,provided with an auxiliary clamping devices to retain the garment in a xed position while the inflation bag is in the expanded position.

6. Garment conditioning apparatus comprising a base portion, a vertical torso-shaped member supported thereon, a substantially closed bag of permeable fabric encompassing such member and supported from the upper part thereor and adapted to be iniiated inside the garment to be conditionedl said member and said fabric being rotatable about a substantially vertical axis with respect to said base portion, and means supported in said base portion and extending into said member for passing steam through said member, fabric and garment for conditioning the latter. i

7. Garment conditioning apparatus comprising a base portion, a substantially vertical form member rotatably supported on saidbase prtion, a substantially closed bag of permeable fabric encompassing such member and supported from the upper part thereof for rotation therewith, said bag having auxiliary bag members to serve as arms and being adapted to be inflated inside the garment to be conditioned, and means supported in said base portion and extending into said member for passing. heated fluids through said member, fabric and garment for conditioningr the latter.

8. Garment conditioning apparatus comprising a base portion, a substantially vertical torsoshaped foraminous member supported thereon and in communication therewith, a closed bag of permeable fabric encompassing such member and adapted to be inflated inside the garment to be conditioned, said member and said fabric being rotatable with respect to said base portion and means for passing heated iluids through said member, fabric and garment Afor conditioning the latter, said means comprising a plurality of steam nozzles inside of said member and a source of heated air in said base portion adapted to be supplied under pressure to said member.

9. Garment conditioning apparatus comprising a base portion, a substantially torso-shaped ioraminous member rotatably supported on said base portion, and in communication therewith, a substantially closed bag of permeable fabric encompassing such member and supported from the upper part thereof, the lower edge of said fabric being rotatably supported on said base portion, said bag being adapted to be inflated inside the garment to be conditioned, a steam separator having a plurality of conduits leading from the dry steamside thereof inside of said member and a plurality of nozzles therein adapted to supply dry steam substantially along the whole length of the member, means for supplying heated air from said base portion to said member and means for regulating such supply, whereby dry steam and heated air may be passed through saidmember, fabric and garment for conditioning the latter.

10. Garment conditioning apparatus comprising a base portion, a substantially vertical torsoshaped member supported on said base portion, a permeable fabric casing encompassing said member and secured to the upper portion thereof and adapted to inflate all portions of the garment placed thereon, means in said base portion for supplying steam and heated air to said member, said member having one or more openings therein whereby such steam and air may be passed through said member, fabric and garment for conditioning the latter, said member and fabric being rotatable with respect to said base portion whereby the garment may be rotated during conditioning. 

